McIsaac, Joseph Clifford, 1930-2006
- PA 499
- Persona
- 1930-2006
Joseph Clifford (Cliff) McIsaac was born on August 30, 1930 in Mount Herbert, Prince Edward Island, to Alexander and Barbara Alice (Driscoll) McIsaac. He graduated from Truro Agricultural College in 1950 and the Ontario Veterinary College in 1955. McIsaac moved to Unity, Saskatchewan, in 1955 and established a veterinary practice there. He later established a second practice in North Battleford.
McIsaac was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1964 and served as the Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Wilkie constituency until 1974. He served in the Ross Thatcher Government as Minister in Charge of the Public Service Commission (1964-1967); Minister of Municipal Affairs (1965-1967); Minister of Education (1967-1971); Minister in Charge of Libraries (1967-1971); Minister in Charge of Saskatchewan Archives Board (1967-1971); Minister in Charge of Saskatchewan Transportation Company (1967-1971); and Minister in Charge of Saskatchewan Research Council (1967-1971).
McIsaac resigned his seat in the Saskatchewan Legislature in 1974 and ran successfully as the Liberal Party candidate for the Battleford-Kindersley constituency in the federal election that year. He served in the Pierre Trudeau Government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport (1974-1975) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Regional Economic Expansion (1975-1976), as a member on various committees, and as Liberal Party Whip. He was defeated in the federal elections of 1979 and 1980.
After his political career, McIsaac served as commissioner of the Canadian Dairy Commission (1981-1991) and as chair of the National Farm Products Marketing Council (1991-1996). Cliff McIsaac died in Guelph, Ontario, on July 25, 2006.
Cliff McIsaac married Marie Vandervoort on July 29, 1953. They had six children: Catherine, Alexander, Mona, Christopher, Mark and Marjorie.